comments: The design of this, and other table lamps, grew out of my work with waterproof wood vases. The lamp base is about the same size (13" tall) as my larger vases and has an octagonal cross section, also a feature similar to many of the vases. Inserting electrical wiring and hardware, instead of a waterproof copper sleeve, completed the transformation. In this work the black outside shade complements the dark, rich wenge wood that dominates the base, while an ample proportion of near-white holly helps disseminate the light released by the white interior of the shade. We use this lamp on an end table in the living room.